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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · root · safe · saw · drill · pop · file · squash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. root — of a word
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — army training
  9. pop — soda
  10. squash — the sport
  11. file — a tool
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pop — music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rest — a break
  16. root — the cause
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — to visit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. root — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com